Valorous(4)

My stomach knots with tension as the story unfolds. Her name was April…

“Apparently, Stone arranged for Natalie to babysit for a weekend that his wife and kids were going to be out of town. He held her there all weekend, raped her repeatedly and threatened her family if she told anyone.”

I feel like I’ve been gut-punched. “Son of a f*cking bitch.”

“She went straight to the cops.”

I close my eyes in awe of her strength and courage as a brutalized fifteen-year-old who had the guts to take that bastard down.

Then Emmett drops the next bomb. “Her parents sided with Stone.”

“Are you f*cking kidding me?”

“I wish I was. The case made national news. Stone made a lot of enemies on his way up the ranks. A bunch of people stepped up to support her through the trial. She filed for and was granted emancipation from her parents. She testified against Stone, and her graphic, detailed testimony sealed his fate. He was sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison. About four weeks after he went to jail, he was raped and murdered in the shower by another inmate.”

I experience a perverse feeling of pleasure at knowing he suffered even a fraction of what he’d inflicted on her.

“She disappeared after the trial. There’s no mention of her anywhere online after the day Stone was sentenced.”

“That must be when she changed her name.”

“Natalie Bryant made her debut a couple of years later as a freshman at the University of Nebraska. There’s no mention anywhere of how or where she spent the years between the trial and college. She graduated in four years and then moved to New York to take a position as a teacher at a charter school.”

“Tell me there’s something we can do about this Rogers guy.”

“Oh, there’s a lot we can do. I’ll be making a call to the Nebraska bar to start with and preparing a civil suit as well as demanding criminal charges be brought against him. He’s going to be very sorry he ever f*cked with her—and you.”

“Whatever we do, we can’t make this any worse for her than it already is.”

“I hate to say it’s likely to get worse before it gets better.”

The thought of it getting any worse makes me sick. I lean against the wall, closing my eyes when they fill with tears. Hearing the details of what happened to Natalie shreds me. My emotions are all over the place. “I want to protect her, but I don’t know how.”

“The most important thing you can do is keep her off the Internet and away from TV. She knows what happened. She doesn’t need to see it playing out for all the world to see—again. I’ve spoken with Liza, and we’re on it. Just take care of her and try not to worry. It’ll blow over in a couple of days.”

That may be true, but would Natalie ever be the same joyful, sweet person she was before her life and painful past were exposed to the world?

When the bedroom door opens, I tell Emmett I have to go. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Talk to you then.”

I stash Addie’s phone in my pocket. “How is she?”

“She gave me permission to tell you she’s definitely in shock and having a physical reaction to it, thus the trembling and crying. I gave her a very light sedative to help her get some rest.” She hands me her business card. “If she’s still feeling anxious or has trouble sleeping, call me tomorrow and I’ll call in a script.”

“Is she… Will she be okay?”

“Eventually, but it’s going to take some time for her to process what’s happened. You’ll need to be patient and let her work through it in her own way.”

Patience isn’t exactly my best quality, but I’ll become the most patient man on earth if that’s what Natalie needs from me.

“Please call me if I can be of any further assistance to either of you.”

“Thank you so much for coming.”

“Of course. Gabe speaks so fondly of you and the others at Quantum. I know how much you mean to him.”

“He’s one of the good ones for sure.”

“I’ll let myself out so you can get back to Natalie.”

“Thanks again.” I step into the bedroom, where the only light is coming from the bathroom. Natalie’s eyes are closed, but her cheeks are still wet with tears. As I get closer to the bed, her eyes open. Even in the midst of despair, I feel the connection that has drawn us together since the day we met. And now that connection has ruined her life.